eternal light
by quasi una fantasia
Summary: The predator has found its prey. —lightis. Vampire fic.
1. i

**i**

* * *

He watched her, in the dense, dark, _forbidden_ forest that was his lair.

Hiding his body behind a large tree, he studied the object of his new fascination with rapt attention.

No one was stupid enough to venture into this forest alone, unarmed, and oblivious to _what _was living inside it. No one but this girl.

He shifted from his crouching position, loosening up his stiff back and splaying his large hands on the moss-covered forest ground; sharp claws flexing lazily. He blinked once. When his lids were opened, they showed a pair of blood-red, cat-like eyes. They shone with open curiosity, much like a kid's upon seeing a magic trick for the first time.

He had felt her presence the moment she stepped into the forest. She was running blindly; her feet taking her into unknown territory. Her gasping breaths were accompanied by a wildly thumping heart, and his extra sensitive hearing could pick up the sound of choking sobs from her, even though he was far, far away from where she was.

He turned his body to the direction she was heading; his eyes burning with blazing anticipation.

It had been a _long _time since someone came into this forest.

He jumped from the high tree he was perched on, and ran as fast as a strike of lightning to where the exciting thumping sound of a beating, _living_ heart was coming from.

He did not know what he was expected to see, but the sight of this girl had managed to stun him into utter stillness.

_A fairy. _That was the first thing that crossed his mind when he landed eyes upon her small hunched form.

She was in his favorite spot by the tiny pond in the forest. She was sitting very close to the edge in a w-sitting position with her hands clutching her black pleated skirt tightly. Her white blouse was crumpled with spots of dirt here and there. Her pink hair, which was chopped in uneven cuts, had one or two dead leaves and a few small twigs tangled in it. Her wrists, arms, and left cheek were marred with spots of ugly blue-and-black bruises. Her rosy lips sported a small cut; a dried trickle of blood could still be seen on its corner.

His brows pulled in a deep frown. What kind of person would hurt this small thing like that?

Messy as she was right now, he could not help but think that she still looked very lovely. And what baffled him the most was that he had not turned into a wild _beast _at the sight of that blood on her lips and chin. He swallowed thickly at the thought. He could fucking smell the tasty, rich, and mouth-watering life essence in the still, cold air of the forest. He knew for sure he never smelled a human with such delicious blood in his century-aged life.

What kept him from jumping at her like a crazy lunatic came in the form of small streams of tears running down her heart-shaped face.

It stunned him so to see this human sitting silently like a marble statue in _his _forest; her empty green-blue eyes staring at the pond sadly. At first, there was nothing but a silent trickle of tears streaming down her face. But then, she closed her eyes tightly and opened them a moment later. The pain and sorrow that he saw in them almost made his _empty _chest constrict in agony. The flow of tears got heavier and the small whimpers that managed to slip past her lips only made it _worse _for him.

_'What happened to her?' _The question echoed in his mind.

But more importantly, how could he find this sight so fascinating? For fuck's sake, it was just a crying girl.

He tilted his head to the side, his eyes opened wide. _'Such an intriguing, little creature she is.'_

He stood up slowly. As if he was possessed, he started to make way to where she was still sobbing obliviously. His steps were very light and silent. Not so much because he was walking barefoot, it was just one of his traits as the _predator_.

The sweet smell of her blood was getting more powerful as he got closer to her. He took a deep shuddering breath; it was an extremely intoxicating scent.

Finally, he came behind her hunched body. His large form did not hinder him to swiftly crouch down beside her without making even a single noise.

"Why are you crying?" He asked slowly, suddenly. It was strange to hear his own voice, and even more surprising that he still remembered how to speak.

The girl squeaked in surprise, and turned her body around to face him. One of her hand jumped to her chest, clutching the fabric of her shirt. She blinked her doe-like eyes repeatedly, and he found it rather…adorable.

He scooted closer to her. "Why are you crying?" He repeated, louder this time.

She opened her mouth as if to answer him, but promptly closed it a moment later. There was an uncertain glint in her eyes. He noticed her long eyelashes were sodden with tears.

He raised his hand and cradled the side of her face. With a gentleness he did not know he possessed, he wiped the crystalline trail of tears on her cheek. He was being extra careful as he did it, because he was very much aware of how easily he could tear her smooth skin with his sharp claws.

The girl watched him attentively, studying his face and form. She was much smaller now that he saw her in close proximity—or, maybe it could simply be he who was much bigger than her. The warm puff of her breaths caressed his palm in certain intervals, and it only added the burning fascination he had to this girl.

She was warm. She was alive. She was _human_. And she smelled too fucking good.

'_Don't destroy her.' _A little voice in his head whispered urgently.

Fixing his red eyes on her wide, blue ones, he parted his lips slowly. He was sure she could see a small pair of fangs poking out from between his lips.

"Who are you?"

**::**

* * *

_Disclaimer: Final Fantasy © Square Enix._

_Beta Reader: **The Clawed Butterfly **(Thank you so much~~~ *whispers name* ^O^) _

_...  
_

**Thanks **for reading!  
_—June 25, 2012._


	2. ii

**ii**

* * *

It was a natural reaction for a human to either run, attack, or freeze at the sight of him. Fools, they were, to even dare to step foot into this forest in the first place. But right now he could not help but feel excited to see what this girl would do.

He was used to seeing groups of bulky, heavily armed human males with cocky attitudes in this forest, but a frail-looking human female? This was the first time. Maybe that was the reason for this unknown burst of excitement and fascination inside him.

_'What will she do?' _His mind inquired curiously over and over as he stared at her tear-stained face.

A cold wind blew past him, bringing about a sweet scent that he could only associate with the pink-haired girl before him. She just sat there, staring hard at him long after the question left his mouth; looking somewhat transfixed. He stared back at her, waiting for her response. But a long moment passed and it did not seem like she would about to say or do anything at all.

He tilted his head sideways and frowned, feeling somewhat disappointed. '_Freeze it is.' _He decided.

But that was where he was wrong.

Not a second past, the girl suddenly rose from her sitting position and elbowed his cheek with such strength it _almost _made him tumble down to the ground. Having succeeded in catching him off guard, she started to run away.

With an astonished look on his face, he brought a hand to his cheek; stroking the spot where the girl had landed a hit on him.

She was smart, he would give her that. That empty, transfixed look on her face was most probably just a trick to deceive him; to present to him the image of a vulnerable girl who could not defend herself. And how did he fall for it. It was only a split moment that he blinked his eyes, and she had used it to her advantage. She had launched herself at him, then taken her chance to flee.

He had been completely off-guard around her, had not felt the need to guard himself in the first place. Because honestly, if a hundred heavily armed human males could not even land a scratch on him, what was the chance that this delicate girl could do so?

Such a shame if someone was to know a mere human girl had managed to fool him.

He admitted the girl was quite strong too. If he were human, the hit would have surely left a nasty bruise on his cheek.

_'Beautiful, smart, strong, quite brave too, and…' _His scarlet eyes shone brightly in the dark forest. "She has the sweetest blood I have ever smelled." He finished his thought out loud.

And unlike the other humans he had encountered so far, this girl did all three things; freeze, attack, and run. This was the first time.

He clenched his fists tightly. In the distance, he could hear the girl still running with all her might. Her breathing was frantic, distressed gasps filled the air, then…

"No. Not this. Stop it." He muttered under his breath. But he could not hold it in. He stood up, feeling every muscle in his body coiling tightly, ready to snap. In every corner of his consciousness, he felt his primal instinct to _hunt_ starting to awaken. The running girl was emitting such terror, panic, and _fear_; he could feel it clearly from where he stood by the still pond.

She was frightened… running in fear, just like a _prey_.

_'Catch her!' _His mind yelled eagerly. His feet started to move an inch, ready to run, to hunt the girl down.

He knew it was a really futile attempt to resist his instinct. He was a natural predator. He was born to hunt. He got pleasure from the excitement of hunting his prey. It was all in his blood. Yet, he was able to fight it. Even just for a second.

"Stop running!" He shouted, his voice piercing the still forest.

The wild animals that lived in the forest followed the girl's lead; they all ran away in fear, feeling the dangerous aura that must have poured so freely from every fiber of his being.

He knew the girl had heard him. It was the only warning he could give her before he finally lost control and started to run after her.

The wind whipped his dark hair wildly as he ran. In only five seconds, he managed to catch up to her. When he saw her running figure, he did not bother to speed up. Gaining the right momentum, he leapt high above the ground. Had the girl bothered to look up, she would have found him "walking" on thin air above her, before eventually making a back-flip and landing on the ground.

There was a surprised gasp, and the girl skidded to a halt. He turned to face her.

Her face was one of utter disbelief. It lasted for a moment then he felt it again; the _fear_, which grew tenfold. Maybe now she would realize that he was not of her _kind_.

His lips curled in a smirk. He loved frightened prey. The fear that radiated from their bodies was addictive; their fear was the most exciting part of hunting for his kind, for vampires. Especially if the prey was a human.

"I told you to stop running." He said icily to the girl. Her eyes widened in terror. He must look quite menacing—looming over her dangerously; completely unlike some moments ago when he was being this gentleman who wiped away her tears.

This was his true self, and the girl had made a big mistake when she decided to run away from him.

He walked towards her. For every step he took closer, she took twice as many steps to back away. His smirk came back. That frightened face—he loved it.

"It's very rude of you. Ignoring my questions, hitting me, then running the hell away without saying anything." He said casually while checking his fingernails absently. It was a mocking gesture on his part, but the girl followed his movement. He found it funny how her breath hitched and her eyes seemed to widen even more when she saw his sharp, long claws.

_'Hasn't she seen them before?' _He shook his head.

"I'll have you know that this place—this whole, entire forest—is off limits. A private property, you could say. So you're practically an intruder," he flashed a grin at her. "and I don't respond well to intruders."

There, the fear had spiked again.

He laughed heartily, throwing his head back. Who would have thought this day would be so entertaining? All of it was because of this little human girl who had somehow landed herself in the lion's den.

The girl started to run in the other direction.

He climbed a tree and stood on one of its high branches. He stayed there, watching his prey running for her life through the forest. She really stood out like a sore thumb in the dark forest. Her white shirt and pink hair was an abnormal sight for him, so it was easy to keep track on her.

The poor girl tripped several times and fell hard to the ground. But she did not give up. She pulled herself up, and kept running.

He scoffed at her attempt so save her life. Such pitiful human. She would wear herself out soon enough; her slowing speed told him so. And this forest was _big_, she did not know where she was going. Even if he did not kill her, she would surely die of dehydration and starvation in trying to find a way out.

He had planned to simply sit there on the branch and watch the girl's pitiful attempt to run for a while longer. But then, in the distance, she tripped again, and scrapped her hand on a jagged little rock on the ground. She cried softly, cradling her hand to her chest, then pulled it back to her eyes; inspecting her injury. Her bleeding hand…oozing fresh blood.

The wind carried the tantalizing scent of her blood. There was something akin to a burning sensation inside him; the uncontrollable urge to taste the blood was overpowering. He snarled viciously and jumped to the ground. His scarlet eyes were wild with hunger.

The girl realized his vastly approaching form and stood up on her shaky legs. Backing herself against a tree, she brought her bleeding hand to her chest. She was crying silently now as he crouched low on the ground before her, hissing and baring his teeth, ready to pounce any moment.

_'She's crying again.' _A thought interrupted him. Watching the tears running down her face; seeing her frightened face - he did not like it now.

…Not when she was crying like this.

He snarled in anger and confusion. Why? Why was it such a big deal whether she was crying or not? Why did he try to fight his instinct? Was it to save her? To spare her life? He clenched his hands again. His body was shaking so hard. It felt like there were two separate beings inside him fighting to take control; there was one that wanted to suck the blood out of the crying girl, and another who was being so sickeningly sweet and uncharacteristically gentle, that still wondering _'Why, why are you crying?' 'What made you run into this cursed place?'_…_'What happened to you?'_

He hated the warring voices in his head. In a fit of rage, he roared and made a swipe at the girl. Her widened eyes were what made him sober up at the last moment. In reflex, he curled his fingers into his palm before it connected to her cheek.

It was still a powerful punch though, and the girl was thrown several hundred meters with only a tree trunk stopping her from flying further away. She hit the tree very hard and fell to the ground.

Staring at his hand, he was glad he managed to keep his sharp claws off her face. Had he not closed his fist at the last moment, he could have ripped half of her face away from her head. He winced at the thought, then turned his gaze to the girl.

She really had a lot of fighting spirit inside that small body of hers. Even after getting thrown off like that, she was now in the middle of working her way back on her feet. It was a hard struggle, he knew.

The urge to kill her had started to died down now. He made his way to her. This time he was walking normally instead of using one of his crazy vampiric powers.

"Are you hurt?" He found himself asking the question. It was a downright stupid question had he been a normal human, or if he was himself and asked the question to another vampire. Getting thrown against a tree was nothing for his kind, but for this human girl? He was not so sure.

The girl whimpered in fear and backed away from him. Or more accurately, she was _limping_ away from him.

_'She's hurt.' _He noted mentally.

Before he could say something more, a shout was heard throughout the forest. It came from a male voice.

He turned his head sideways, gauging the location of the echoing sound.

"Farron!" The voice shouted once again.

Realization dawned on him. _'The girl's name?'_

Looking back at the girl, he knew his assumption was right. She had turned her head after the voice too, but to the wrong direction. Her hearing was very poor compared to his.

"Farron! Answer me, god dammit!" The unknown human male cursed to the forest.

He grinned again. "So," he drawled, bringing the girl's attention back to him. "you brought your friend here?"

Once again, her frightened face returned.

He licked his fangs, and _smiled_. "This will be fun."

**::**

* * *

_Disclaimer: Final Fantasy © Square Enix._

_Beta Reader: **The Clawed Butterfly **(Thank you so much~~~ *whispers name* *big hugs* -^O^-) _

_...  
_

Thanks for reading! =)  
_—October 20, 2012._

.

Thanks for reviewing last chapter: milkycelestial, anima, DarkBlueLynx, xena, Naraku no hana, (Nie)261, MelodiusNocturn, OPFAN, Guest (x2), Dreamers95, animelancholicmajestyq, and NoctLightXIII. ^^

Anyway, it's probably a small (silly) thing, but I really like Naraku's review. ^o^ Because it's not in English (Google told me it's Portuguese). I do like (really really like) foreign languages. Any foreign languages. Even if I don't understand them... Well, Google Translate helps a little. lol XD I think language is one of the most coolest things on earth. -^o^-

So, Naraku, if you're reading this; Thank you so much~ It honestly made me very happy~ :DDD


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